Chapter 17
Episode 17
Father and Son
"I sincerely hope the Deputy Guild Leader isn't offended by this."
"Hahaha, of course not. Please don't concern yourself. The client's wishes are always absolute."
"As expected of the Deputy Guild Leader. Hmm, then we'll take our leave here. Please send word through the communication channels once you've reached a decision on our proposal. We'll return immediately."
"...Yes, we'll do that."
With final bows, the client exited the main office of Manhaepyoguk.
The moment the door closed behind them—
"Damn it all!"
Tang Ho-yeol's face twisted violently, the forced smile he'd maintained crumbling away.
The escort captains seated around him nervously watched his expression.
Unable to contain his fury, Ho-yeol ground his teeth until they squeaked.
"All because that bastard Se-woon isn't available! Are these fucking insects playing games with us or what?"
It was true. The reason the previous contract had fallen through was precisely because the client insisted on having young master Tang Se-woon included in the escort mission.
Moreover, similar inquiries had been pouring in ever since the I Hoseong incident.
One of the captains cautiously spoke up as Ho-yeol seethed:
"Ahem, exactly as I predicted. Ever since he supposedly caught that assassin while chasing after cattle—"
"Idiotic nonsense!"
Ho-yeol's roar turned the captain pale as a ghost, snapping his mouth shut like a clam.
"That crippled freak took down a martial artist at the pinnacle? Does that sound remotely plausible to you?"
"Th-then how—?"
"Tch tch, your brain really doesn't work, does it?"
"It's obvious. The Alliance Leader must have secretly assigned bodyguards anticipating this situation."
"Ah!"
"And that brat just took credit for what the bodyguards did, swallowing the achievement whole."
Ho-yeol's explanation made perfect sense.
It was far more believable that the Alliance Leader had made arrangements in advance—especially since complications could arise from Son Woo-gon's Hainan Sect background—and struck some deal to frame it as Se-woon's accomplishment, rather than the cripple suddenly overcoming his disability to display divine martial prowess.
"Incredible...!"
"So the young master had that kind of cunning in him."
"As expected of the Chief Escort!"
Though the captains piled on flattery, gilding his reputation, Ho-yeol frowned at them.
'Tch. Not a single useful bastard among them.'
Knock knock.
Someone rapped at the door.
Finally.
Ho-yeol's expression transformed instantly.
"All of you, get out."
"Y-yes sir!"
The captains fled like the receding tide, not wasting a second.
The middle-aged man who entered next appeared to be in his forties.
"Hahaha, you've come."
Ho-yeol greeted him with the demeanor of a saintly gentleman, his previous rage vanished without trace.
"Deputy Administrator Jang Dal pays his respects to the Chief Escort."
Shockingly, it was Jang Dal, deputy leader of the Internal Medicine Hall—one of the two main branches of the Tang Family.
As second-in-command to Chief Administrator Son Geon, he oversaw the clan's financial affairs.
'...This one needs to be brought over.'
Ho-yeol studied Jang Dal with vulture-like eyes before speaking softly.
"Well? Have you made your decision?"
"......"
Jang Dal remained silent, lost in thought.
Dark circles bruised his eyes, his pallor sickly—clear signs of sleepless nights spent agonizing.
"...You're absolutely certain there's no danger if we only hire elite rogue martial artists?"
A sinister smile curled Ho-yeol's lips at the question.
"Ah, need you even ask? Even if it's a Martial Alliance commission, with a pinnacle expert on our side, it'll be easier than eating rice cakes in bed."
Here was the full situation:
After the I Hoseong incident, the Martial Alliance agonized over how to compensate the Tang Family.
While treatment costs for Se-woon and Sibi were undisputed, additional reparations kept getting delayed.
Direct compensation from the Alliance required official documentation of the reasons—which the Qingcheng Faction vehemently opposed.
Moreover, the Elder Faction also resisted, fearing the young master receiving the Meteorite Sword from the Alliance Leader would bolster the emerging Leader Faction's reconstruction efforts.
Thus, the compromise reached between both factions was:
'Granting Manhaepyoguk exclusive rights to Alliance commissions.'
The Martial Alliance, with branches across most of Central Plains, constantly handled overwhelming missions.
When certain tasks proved too difficult, they often outsourced them.
Competition among external factions for these lucrative contracts was fierce.
Given the Alliance's dominance, completion fees were enormous, and—
'The prestige of perfectly executing an Alliance commission would be the greatest boost to any faction's reputation.'
That prestige alone could elevate them to stand proudly among Sichuan's Four Great Escort Houses.
The Alliance offered two options:
Either one mid-level commission, or ten low-level commissions over three years.
Only one could be chosen, though total compensation would be equal.
Only the 'time' required differed based on difficulty.
For Ho-yeol—determined to establish his branch family before year's end—the choice was clear.
'Three years is too long.'
He wanted the mid-level commission.
The payout and prestige could be embezzled immediately.
However.
A massive obstacle remained.
Mid-level commissions had one mandatory requirement:
At least one martial artist at the pinnacle must join the escort.
But as everyone knew, the Tang Family had no such masters.
They'd need to hire an elite rogue martial artist at that level.
Their exorbitant fees necessitated the main family's financial support.
Yet given the risks of mid-level commissions, clan leader Tang Mu-yeol would never approve.
'Tch, Mu-yeol. That utter fool. This is a Martial Alliance escort, for heaven's sake. No matter how skilled those rogues are, they wouldn't dare cause trouble.'
So Ho-yeol secretly persuaded Jang Dal to steal the financial documents.
-Wh-what? Steal the ledgers? That's embezzlement of public funds...!
-Ah, you simple man. If the clan leader won't even notice, how can it be embezzlement?
-...Huh?
-The escort will depart secretly, the hiring done in shadows. Once completed, the payout will be dozens of times the amount. We'll quietly replenish the funds afterward—simple as that.
-B-but still...
-How long do you plan to remain deputy administrator?
-...!
-A man should aspire to lead his own house one day.
-Clan leader? Me?
-Hehe. Once I establish my branch family, I'll become leader of the New Tang Family. Then the Manhaepyoguk position will be vacant. Who else would I give it to?
After this secret discussion,
Jang Dal requested one day to consider.
And now—
Thud.
"...I pledge my life to you."
The traitor knelt, bowing his head to swear loyalty to his new master.
Ho-yeol looked down at him with a rancid smile.
'Just wait a little longer, nephew.'
With these two hands,
I'll take back everything that should have been mine.
Same time.
Clan leader's office, Sichuan Tang Family.
Dismissing even the guards, the room held only heavy silence.
'Huu. This is nerve-wracking.'
Se-woon swallowed dryly.
After firmly sending his sister back to the Medical Hall despite her offer to accompany him, he'd come straight here.
He glanced up cautiously.
Before him, Tang Mu-yeol sipped tea with his characteristic unreadable expression.
Though his face was as blank as his daughter's had been,
Unlike her transparent emotions, the clan leader showed not a flicker of feeling.
'Well, he is the man who remained composed even before the Sword Emperor.'
When Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak descended, the entire clan panicked—
Except Mu-yeol alone stood unshaken.
Though his martial achievements paled in comparison,
As a clan leader, his innate dignity was second to none.
Facing him now, Se-woon's mind was more tangled than at any point since his regression.
'...What will he ask first? Surely how I killed the assassin?'
In the Tang Family, the one Se-woon needed to guard against most wasn't the traitor Ho-yeol.
It was his own father, Tang Mu-yeol.
Because his future actions would directly oppose the clan leader's convictions.
Slowly, Se-woon reviewed his prepared excuses.
He'd lied to the Alliance Leader about recreating lost family techniques, but that wouldn't work here.
He couldn't claim to have used his congenital qi again, so he'd say the Alliance Leader helped him partially overcome his disability,
With the miraculously crafted Divine Artifact providing additional power.
Clink.
The crisp sound shattered his thoughts.
Mu-yeol had silently refilled his teacup.
"Drink."
"...Thank you, Father."
With no retainers present, Se-woon used the familial term rather than formal address.
As he nervously sipped, Mu-yeol studied him before speaking softly.
"You've lost considerable weight."
"Huh? Ah, yes."
"Your meals were properly delivered, but did illness ruin your appetite?"
"No. I simply kept missing meals while absorbed in training."
"A healthy body is the foundation of cultivation. Eat properly."
"I'll remember, Father."
Contrary to expectations, Mu-yeol continued with mundane conversation.
The lack of obvious intent only heightened Se-woon's confusion.
"Do you know why I didn't summon you all this time?"
"...Because of my crimes?"
"No."
The blunt denial startled Se-woon, who'd braced for reprimand.
But his father's next words shocked him further.
"It was because of me."
"...What?"
What could that mean?
His own fault?
The completely unexpected answer made Se-woon's pupils tremble violently.
"I stopped them because I wasn't ready to see you."
"...Father, what do you—?"
"Seeing you would have broken me."
"—!"
Without waiting for a response, his father continued.
"My whole life, I believed in the Alliance and followed their so-called Path of Righteousness."
"It brought constant losses, further ruining our family's fortunes. I've only ever felt guilt toward our clan."
"But truthfully, I never regretted upholding my beliefs."
Suddenly, Mu-yeol paused.
His teacup trembled slightly.
Then his gaze met his son's.
'Ah.'
Layer by layer, the emotionless mask peeled away, revealing what lay beneath for the first time.
"Until now."
What surfaced was—
Guilt. Remorse. Shame.
"Too late, I realized I'd been willfully blind to the Alliance's rot from the roots up."
And indescribable rage.
But that fury soon turned inward.
"What righteousness? What nonsense."
A self-mocking smile twisted Mu-yeol's face.
Se-woon felt his heart tear in half.
"A man who couldn't even protect his only son."
In this moment, Tang Mu-yeol didn't stand before Se-woon as clan leader.
Only as a father,
Overflowing with regret toward his child.
"Forgive me, my son."
Suddenly, Mu-yeol bowed his head to Se-woon, begging forgiveness.